US Northwest Pacific Crest Overland Route (PCOR) - Oregon Segment

[armyRN]

We will meet at exit 64 off Interstate Highway 84 in OR (Hood River) at 0900 on Sunday, 6 September. Exact spot to be determined at a later date. Highway 35 begins just south of there, and is the beginning of the PCOR - Oregon segment.

I know this is short notice. The trip I was originally planning on leading during this time frame (Old School Vehicle WABDR Run) was cancelled d/t lack of participants. Since I already had the time off from work and still want to do an overlanding trip (and had already pre-ran the WABDR), I am planning on doing this trip instead. I am posting this Rally Point to see if anyone else might be interested in joining me.

Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment - Expedition Portal

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s...

expeditionportal.com

I have not pre-run this trip. I will be taking the map in the picture above, and will be plotting it on my Oregon Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer. I'll also see if I can get it uploaded in my GAIA thingy on my phone.

 

View Rally Point

[armyRN]

Open to any and all appropriate overlanding-type 4WD vehicles. A few vehicle & trailer requirements (you probably already have them, but some folks are new at this, so here goes):

4WD vehicle in good repair. The route is about 500 miles from the WA/OR border to the OR/CA border. Once we get to the California border, you still need to drive 300+ miles back if you live in WA just to get back to the WA border.

High ground clearance (I don't think I'd want to take my wife's Subaru Crosstrek on this trip - ok; I might if she'd let me modify it/lift it - but she won't let me).

Matching full-size spare tire (no temporary spares, even if technically it is the same diameter as your other four tires). On our last overlanding trip, I got a flat/slow leak on day #2 (so I ran my spare the rest of the trip), and another person lost a bead. Not all flats can be fixed with a plug kit (which I carry).

Dedicated tow strap attachment points front-and-rear. A 2" receiver counts as an attachment point. There's no shame in needing a tug sometimes. Even the best set-up vehicles sometimes need a tug (or to give someone else a little tug).

A tow strap with sewn loops at the ends (no metal hooks).

Have a jack capable of lifting your vehicle to change a tire (does not have to be a high-lift jack). If you've lifted your rig and put taller tires on it, see if your factory jack will still work.

CB radio, or GMRS or one of those little BaoFeng UV-5R type radios. We just all need to be on the same wavelength (pun intended).

Make sure you've got a decent air compressor. If it plugs into your cigarette lighter on the dash, it is not going to be adequate (it will be way too slow); you need one that is either hard-wired into your vehicle's wiring system, or one with clips that attach to the battery (mine clips). We will most likely be frequently airing-down and airing back up. I use an Air Armor M-240 (which we once used to reseat a bead on a tire while on the trail), but VIAR and others make good ones that are reasonably priced. CO2 tanks work great too (I've got one) until you run out of CO2 (been there, done that).

Trailers - should have somewhat of a high-clearance underneath, and must have a matching spare tire if your trailer is running anything different from your tow vehicle's tires (my truck and trailer's tires do not match either in bolt pattern or tire size, so each has their own dedicated spare tire). Based on previous overlanding runs and extensive four-wheeling in the PNW, I recommend trailers be on the small(er) size - like the old WWII Jeep trailers or similar. If nothing else, trailer should not be any wider (measured from outside of one trailer tire to the outside of the other tire) than the same measurements on your tow vehicle's tires.

 

[armyRN]

I do not know where we will be stopping and camping every night. This is an adventure for me too - be flexible. I'll possibly be bringing my lil' adventure trailer, but even if I do I plan on sleeping on a cot in the back of my truck (this is kind-of a test-run on this camping set-up for my next Alaska/Canada trip).

Usually cots have three sets of legs, so if you're wanting to sleep in the back of a truck, the wheel well gets in the way with the middle set of legs. This cot only has two sets of legs, so the cot will sit over the wheel well. We'll see how it works. I think it is a rule that you have to buy a new piece of equipment for either camping, for the vehicle, or a new tool for every trip you go on.

TETON Somnia Ultralight Camp Cot

Teton Somnia Ultralight Camp Cot - Sleep like you&rsquo,ve never slept before outdoors on the Somnia Cot. 600D canvas is ultra durable, yet still offers great comfort.

www.sportsmans.com

 

[armyRN]

What should I not bring? I'm putting this out there so there are no questions or hurt feelings later.

No smoking marijuana. I don't care if it is legal in OR (is it? I don't know). Don't bring it to smoke it. Bake it in brownies or something and munch away.

No illicit drugs (I shouldn't have to say it... but I will... I guess I just did).

If you need to bring a separate cooler just for beer... maybe you should reevaluate your priorities. A little drinking around the campfire at night is totally cool; having to get drunk is not. Drinking and driving - along with being illegal (even if off-road), is unsafe, and will not be tolerated. This is not a "party-hard and let it all hang-out" kind of trip.

I really don't expect the above to be a problem (Overlanders are usually a pretty mellow group); but I'm putting it out there just-in-case. Unfortunately I've experienced at least two out of the three above on previous events over the years.

No portable gas or diesel or propane powered generators. Period. I don't care if yours is advertised as "whisper quiet" or is encased in insulation; I/we can still hear it. We don't want to hear it. We are wanting to hear "Nature" when we're camped for the evening & in the morning, or the crackle of a campfire; not a small motor running. Leave them at home. Seriously. We don't care if you feel you need to run a generator so you can have AC running in your trailer or to power your microwave - no gas/diesel/propane/or whatever fuel-it-burns generators on this trip. We're camping folks. Wilderness... Nature... Outdoors... Don't fight it - Embrace it! On our last Overlanding trip this summer, we were camped a couple hundred yards from another group, and in the morning they fired-up a generator. We could here it just fine - sound travels. Kinda took away from the outdoor experience that morning.

So also do not bring "noise/sound producing devices" that others can hear. That includes music players that others have to listen to, radios, DVD players, movie projectors (I've seen it all that's why I'm saying it), etc. You are not a DJ. That's why God invented headphones if you really need to listen to it. I'm sure I'm not the only one that enjoys "Getting away from it all" when Overlanding; why should we have to listen to that stuff? Lets be considerate of others. Yes; I know if you bring little kids sometimes you need to entertain them in the evening with a movie. Everyone else shouldn't know they're watching a movie on a laptop screen.

Fireworks. Let's not catch OR on fire. Wildfires are a huge issue right now. Do not bring fireworks.

Pets are cool. As usual, make sure they're under your control (and clean up after them). Yes; bears poop in the woods - but not usually around where we're set up camping to where we could be stepping in it.

Let's talk about guns. I like guns. I'm a Patriot Life Member of the NRA. If you bring one (or more), please keep them out-of-sight and safely secured in your vehicle or on your person. No recreational shooting on this trip (unless at a formally designated firing area). Lets not have any negligent discharges (you Army folks know what I mean).

 

[M Rose]

Hey Paul, great advice for this epic trip you are planning.... one other thing, no open fires... NO Open FIRES unless in a designated camp ground. This includes charcoal BBQ grills... propane stoves are ok, propane fire pits are also ok... it’s fire season, AXE, Shovel, minimum 5# Class AB fire Extinguishers, and 1 gallon of water are required in your vehicles when traveling through BLM, NFS, and Oregon State Forrests.

 

[armyRN]

Ok; I'm googling 5lb fire extinguishers for the trip. Here's one I found real quick: My Jeep has a small one mounted by the seat (truck doesn't have one), but it would be a good idea to have a larger one on this trip.

Kidde Pro 340 3-A:40-B:C Fire Extinguisher 21029294 - The Home Depot

Store this Kidde PRO Fire Extinguisher in light manufacturing areas, restaurants, auto showrooms, parking garages and storage areas for fire preparedness.

www.homedepot.com

Do you have a reference for those OR requirements? I've usually got a shovel and axe and water when overlanding, but not a 5lb fire extinguisher. Is this an OR thing?

 

[M Rose]

Ok; I'm googling 5lb fire extinguishers for the trip. Here's one I found real quick: My Jeep has a small one mounted by the seat, but it would be a good idea to have a larger one on this trip.

Kidde Pro 340 3-A:40-B:C Fire Extinguisher 21029294 - The Home Depot

Store this Kidde PRO Fire Extinguisher in light manufacturing areas, restaurants, auto showrooms, parking garages and storage areas for fire preparedness.

www.homedepot.com

Do you have a reference for those OR requirements? I've usually got a shovel and axe and water when overlanding, but not a 5lb fire extinguisher. Is this an OR thing?

Yes it’s an OR thing, I have been looking for where this is documented... my bookmark from last year is gone due to COVID, but talking to my ranger friend, it’s still very much a requirement.

 

[M Rose]

Ok; I'm googling 5lb fire extinguishers for the trip. Here's one I found real quick: My Jeep has a small one mounted by the seat (truck doesn't have one), but it would be a good idea to have a larger one on this trip.

Kidde Pro 340 3-A:40-B:C Fire Extinguisher 21029294 - The Home Depot

Store this Kidde PRO Fire Extinguisher in light manufacturing areas, restaurants, auto showrooms, parking garages and storage areas for fire preparedness.

www.homedepot.com

Do you have a reference for those OR requirements? I've usually got a shovel and axe and water when overlanding, but not a 5lb fire extinguisher. Is this an OR thing?

I found it https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/orwa-fpo-nwo-070620.pdf

Be Fire Aware: New Restrictions for Power Tools in Effect on BLM Lands in Medford District | Bureau of Land Management

www.blm.gov

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd792177.pdf

 

[armyRN]

Wow. Looks like you have to have either a gallon of water, or a 2.5lb fire extinguisher. And there are even specs for the shovel size.

I hope the PCOR is cleared of "flammable vegetation". That one could be tricky to interpret. Some pine needles on the road?

 

[M Rose]

Wow. Looks like you have to have either a gallon of water, or a 2.5lb fire extinguisher. And there are specs for the shovel size.

I hope the PCOR is cleared of "flammable vegetation". That one could be tricky to interpret. Some pine needles on the road?

Tall grass is what they are referring to. Unless there is a sign, gate, or other blockage on the road, it’s good to go, they leave it up to the ranger’s discretion... which is usually grass above mid calf on the roadways.

 

[armyRN]

My lil' adventure trailer has a shovel and axe attached. If I don't bring the trailer I'll put them in the truck. I'll have gallons of water in the truck and/or trailer. And I'll get a 2.5lb fire extinguisher just so there's no questions about having the required equipment. We might be going in-and-out of areas that require these things, so best to be safe. I don't want to be stopped, fined, and imprisoned. I guess you can be fined and go to jail for a year if you don't have one of these required items when out overlanding, but if you riot and try to destroy federal property in Portland you're ok.

 

[Dlnuckolls]

My lil' adventure trailer has a shovel and axe attached. I'll have gallons of water in the truck and/or trailer. And I'll get a 2.5lb fire extinguisher just so there's no questions about having the required equipment. We might be going in-and-out of areas that require these things, so best to be safe. I don't want to be stopped, fined, and imprisoned. I guess you can go to jail for a year if you don't have one of these things when out overlanding, but if you riot and try to destroy federal property in Portland you're ok.

View attachment 168522View attachment 168523

I have yet to figure out why riots and destruction seem to be acceptable to many people.

 

[UgotWheelz]

Hey guys this sounds like a blast, I don't think I will be ready for that type of terrain quite yet. I am still working on ironing out the right struts for my prototype H&R lift springs. As to fire extinguishers as a Hill Climb racer and rally racer in another life fire extinguishers have always been required in Oregon forests I have a class D I get mine in SE Portland from ABC Fire, they are greta supporters of motorsports and they do certifications and refills. Also all extinguishers need to have metal heads no plastic heads or nozzles allowed. I recommend a 5lb bottle a vehicle or fuel fire will need multiple extinguishers to contain or hopefully put out. I have one for my car and I will have a second one in my camper trailer once i source that piece of hardware.

 

[armyRN]

Ok; I am not a GPS expert. This is the trip we're planning on doing:

Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment - Expedition Portal

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s...

expeditionportal.com

Here's an overview of the trip:



From the article, I was able to get the GPS route they used for the trip. They used HEMA maps:

Hema Explorer PCOR Expedition | Oregon | Hema Explorer Cloud | Hema Cloud

cloud.hemaexplorer.com

From there I was able to save it as a KML file, and then upload it onto GAIA on my laptop. Then I had to figure out how to get it on my phone (sounds simple, but you don't want to know how long it took me to figure all this out):

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Once you get to Hood River OR, it should start showing you the route (green line heading south). Let me know if it works for you.

 

[M Rose]

Here I fixed Gaia for you

GPX viewer

 

[M Rose]

Ok; I am not a GPS expert. This is the trip we're planning on doing:

Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment - Expedition Portal

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s...

expeditionportal.com

Here's an overview of the trip:

View attachment 168580

From the article, I was able to get the GPS route they used for the trip. They used HEMA maps:

Hema Explorer PCOR Expedition | Oregon | Hema Explorer Cloud | Hema Cloud

cloud.hemaexplorer.com

From there I was able to save it as a KML file, and then upload it onto GAIA on my laptop. Then I had to figure out how to get it on my phone (sounds simple, but you don't want to know how long it took me to figure all this out):

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Once you get to Hood River OR, it should start showing you the route (green line heading south). Let me know if it works for you.

Just save the track as a GPX file, save to phone, open Gaia on the phone, on the map page click the + at the top of the page, scroll down to import and select, then navigate to where you downloaded the GPX file and click import. That’s it. Sharing routes via GAIA I am still green on...

 

[M Rose]

I wish the Bronco was running... this is a trip I would love to do...

 

[Ubiety]

Sounds like an awesome trip; learning about the OBDR is what got me interested in the WABDR. Septembers are out for me as I am preparing and executing our yearly trip which has officially been occurring for decades now. I’m an old man ;)

Have an awesome time and stay safe! Joel still talks about the MREs, thanks Paul!

 

[UgotWheelz]

Reading the article and knowing the area and having hiked and biked on many of these roads, I don't think this time of year any of the trail would be difficult for any AWD, 4x4, or high clearance 2WD vehicles. If there is a difficult section I would be curious as to what that section is. I have been out on most of these roads/trail on bikes, in the last 15 years but not all. I have driven the area extensively in 2WD poptop Ford van camper and a 2WD Ford pickup with camper shell in the late 70's and early 80's. Use to do allot of camping/fishing and also fire wood cutting yearly in this area. Unless allot of erosion and trail damage has happened in last 10 years. Time to search Google for video and pics.

 

[armyRN]

The article referenced (and that I got the PCOR GPS route from) was written in 2018. This is what it said about the trail's difficulty:

"The vast majority of the Oregon portion of the PCOR is easy. However, long distances, muddy or snowy trails, and downed trees can cause challenges. Drivers should be sure to check road conditions before the trip and bring proper recovery gear and saws."

That's what I'm going by. By now I'm expecting the snow to be melted, and since it has been awfully dry lately, I'm expecting mud to be at a minimum. This should be a nice fairly easy scenic run. I'm bringing a chainsaw, tow straps, chain, shovel, axe, & two pairs of X-Bulls (generic MaxTrax).

So I figure 96% of this trail ("vast majority") could be easily done with something like my buddy's early 2000 era 2WD Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner with 31" tires (which has decent clearance underneath). It is that potential 4% that'll getcha (you never know what's changed up ahead) and can ruin your day or make you have to turn-around. If my buddy had a Tru-Trac or locker in the back of his Pre-Runner, he'd be better equipped on this trip. If he needed some help through a muddy spot, I've got X-bulls, or I could give him a tug (hence the tow strap attachment points front & rear requirement). Too bad he's in Florida. If I had to choose between AWD (like my wife's Subaru Crosstrek) or 2WD truck and high clearance, I'd choose the 2WD high clearance vehicle every time (and strongly recommend putting some sort of traction device in the rear diff!).

You've gotta be careful though; some AWD vehicles are just cars that they've puffed-up a little bit, and aren't really SUVs. They're weak, and wouldn't stand up to the rigors of a difficult overlanding trip. Fortunately, most Overlanders have pretty stout vehicles they're using for travel - they've done their research.

Usually I'm taking my Jeep TJ overlanding. It has lockers front & rear, 4" lift, 33" tires, winch, armor, etc. (it's what I took on the WABDR). This time I'm taking my 96 Ram 1500 4x4 SWB single cab with 2" lift, 33" tires, Tru-Tracs front and rear, a tired 5.2 engine with 225,000 miles on it but runs good, and no winch. If I can pack the truck right, I'll leave the trailer at home.

Trails can be tight in the PNW. I'm taking a full-sized truck, but it is a single cab SWB. It has a cap on it, but it is no wider or taller than the truck cab. I'd be hesitant to bring a full-size truck with a large camper on it that's tall and wider than the truck bed.